Speeds and Feeds for Optimal Precision Board HDU Machining

HDU machining

HDU Machining with Precision Board Plus

One of the more frequent inquiries we receive at Coastal Enterprises involves questions about machining Precision Board Plus HDU. For those that are experienced in working with the product, we typically hear things like, “this stuff cuts like butter” ,“my cutters last longer”, “I can set my CNC to a higher feed rate” or our favorite, “I get more chips and less dust”. Of course we remind these customers that these performance factors are the result of Precision Board Plus HDU being a non-abrasive cellular product that has no grain.

But if you’ve never used the product, you may want to know “what type of cutter works best” and “where do I start with my speed and feed settings”? First of all, a wide variety of HSS cutters commonly used for wood and plastics work very well for machining Precision Board Plus HDU, and a wide range of settings will produce great results.

Initial Setup

As a starting point, consider the testing done by cutter manufacturer Onsrud on various densities of Precision Board Plus HDU. Using a carbide double-edge upcut spiral 0.125” cutter with PBLT-18 (18lb. density), best results were achieved with an RPM of 14,000, a feed rate of 200 IPM, at a depth of 1” per pass. Similarly good results were achieved using a carbide double-edge upcut 0.25” cutter spinning at 18,000 RPM, with a feed rate of 75 IPM at a depth of 1.5” per pass. Both settings produced a smooth surface finish.

Keep in mind that while this data was generated with carbide cutters, HSS cutters also perform very well due to the non-abrasive nature of Precision Board Plus HDU. Adam Prentiss of Lormac Plastics has extensive experience machining Precision Board Plus HDU, particularly PBLT-30 and  PBLT-40. He finds dialing in the right speed and feed very easy with both HSS and carbide cutters.

Here are settings used by Onsrud that produced the best results across a range of Precision Board Plus densities. These and other data for machine settings for a variety of materials can be found at www.plasticrouting.com

HDU machining

 

Chip Load

Remember it’s always a good idea to optimize your chip load by setting your feed rate and cutter speed to yield the largest chip that produces the desired surface finish. While Precision Board Plus HDU does not conduct heat and is non-abrasive, this will ensure that heat is carried away from the cutter, prolonging tool life. Onsrud reminds us of this useful formula:

Chip Load = Feed rate/ RPM x # of flutes

To increase chip load: 

  • Increase feed rate
  • Decrease RPM
  • Use a cutter with fewer flutes

To decrease chip load: 

  • Decrease feed rate
  • Increase RPM
  • Use a cutter with more flutes

With a little experimentation you’ll become an expert at HDU machining with Precision Board Plus in no time. Proper cutter selection and machine setup will produce a smooth cut, leaving chips that fall to the ground and do not become airborne. And because we’ve added an anti-static agent to Precision Board Plus, chips will not cling to your work or your equipment.

Did You Know?

Precision Board Plus Precision Board Plus does not out-gas during the autoclave curing process, so it’s ideal for prepreg layup tools and mold patterns (see autoclave ramping procedures). To learn more about the capabilities of Precision Board Plus, view or download our product data sheets.

Need help with a quote? Click here or call us at 800-845-0745

What’s behind door #1?

A while back, I started brainstorming what our entry way should look like. It was pretty drab and boring, so it was in need of a major upgrade. The first thing that popped into my head was some neat looking gear themed window sills. We followed that up with some gear / steampunk themed custom shelves.

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This past week, we started carving a crazy door skin that screamed LOOK AT ME! in a very steampunk sort of way.

The door was carved from 30lb Precision Board plus from Coastal Enterprises. Our Multicam 3000 series router handled all of the machining duties flawlessly. EnRoute Pro 6 was tasked with creating the model for the door. We used some amazing bitmap wood textures from Dan Sawatzky’s Wood collection to create the wood planks in the recessed areas.

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After a quick test fit, we started the texture coat using Coastal Enterprises TSF45 coating. Its super thick and lets us do lots of fun things with it.

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We also cast 2 sizes of hot rivets using a silicone mold and Smooth On casting resins. The molds were created using real hot rivets. The resin copies were glued into the door and textured using the TSF45 and some HDU dust.

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The base coats were applied by hand. Here you see the skin based in a coat of dark brown.

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The next step involved various colors of black and dark red glaze. Once the glaze was dry, we applied the metallic paints from Modern Masters and Novacolor. One last coat of black glaze was added and wiped off once the metallics were dry.

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Here you see the finished product. All we have to do is finish the back side of the door and add some glass to finish it out.

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Stay tuned for progress on the rest of the entry way.

-Jim

Published with permission from Synergy Sign & Graphics. Source.

Fantastically Rich, Beautifully Strange: Workspace Renovations with Synergy

workspace renovations

Workspace Renovations with Synergy Sign and Graphics

Every once in a while, a skilled sign maker finds his workspace in need of some sprucing up. For top-tier craftsmen who make their living churning out beautiful, skillfully executed creations, it’s only natural that they’d want their creative space to reflect the art that they’re capable of. Today, we’re going to take a look at some upgrades that Synergy Sign and Graphics performed on their own creative space.

workspace renovations

The renovations all concern a metal door leading into one of the main work areas at Synergy. With the help of a little PBLT-18 and TSF-45, the Synergy crew turned it into a fun part of their laid-back, artsy aesthetic. The first step was to rout out a portion of Precision Board slightly smaller than the surface area of the door itself. The idea was for the PBLT to function as a facade on the front of the door, so it could have some rustic wood stylings without the actual wood!

workspace renovations

The Synergy crew used their CNC router to produce the general shape of the door, along with the faux-metal reinforcing slats and Jules Verne-esque porthole, but the wood grain was predominantly hand carved. Many artists and sign makers who work with Precision Board find that one of the best methods for getting an authentic wood grain effect is to carve it by hand. Slow? Of course. But definitely worth the time and effort with how life-like the wood effect is. For a capable artist, Precision Board offers a lot of freedom to get exactly the result you’re looking for.

workspace renovations

Once the door was routed, carved, and primed, it was on to the small signs, to be mounted on either side of the swinging door. The Synergy opted for a corrugated metal effect and contrasting color palettes, with one of the signs painted emerald green and the other fiery red and orange.

workspace renovations

The door is still a work in progress but it’s looking great so far. Tune in for the next edition of Workspace Renovations, when we find out what finishing touches Synergy decides to bestow on this little project.

Take a minute to check out the Synergy Sign and Graphics website. Click through their projects gallery, read the blog, or even request a personalized, hand-made creation of your own.

Precision Board Donations: Supporting the Future of Composites

Precision Board donations

A collection of commemorative sponsor photos we’ve received from student engineering teams over the years.

Sponsoring Schools with Precision Board Donations

Here at Coastal Enterprises, we place a lot of importance on the future of composite materials. Space travel, aeronautics, construction, and many other industries depend on the advancement of different composites technologies, and we want to see them flourish in the coming years. The next generation of composites professionals are currently enrolled in engineering, architecture, and design programs in schools all over the country, which is why we do everything we can to support students. We offer Precision Board donations to any school, and we welcome the opportunity to sponsor as many schools as we can.

Precision Board donations

A shipment of donated Precision Board arrives at the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo engineering campus, to be transformed into a 3000 MPG SAE supermileage car.

Over the years, we’ve provided hundreds of shipments of Precision Board donations to schools all over the country. Universities, community colleges, even high schools have received donated Precision Board for various projects. Increasing numbers of schools are introducing their students to HDU tooling as its popularity continues to grow within many high profile industries.

Precision Board donations

The University of Michigan FSAE team uses donated Precision Board to fabricate their FSAE vehicle, bonding segments together and routing the pieces to form a composite layup tool.

The majority of our donations go to university teams competing in events like Formula SAE, ASME Human Powered Vehicle Competition, and North American Solar Challenge. Members of these student teams are required to design a vehicle, source the materials, fabricate and assemble the vehicle components, and finally race their creations at an annual competition.

Precision Board donations

Iowa State University PrISUm Solar Car team uses Precision Board to fabricate composite car parts using an autoclave. Their Hyperion solar car completed the 1650-mile course with an average speed of 65 MPH.

For young engineering students, taking a project from concept to completion is an excellent learning tool. It pushes students to be involved with every level of the production process, giving them a thorough look into the challenges of a professional engineering project. 

Precision Board donations

Cornell University FSAE car, with a carbon-fiber frame and turbocharged Honda CBR engine.

We are proud to be a sponsor of some of the most motivated and talented student teams in the country, and we’re always looking for more. If you have a school sponsorship need, please send us an email detailing your application and requirements, or request a sample.  

University of Nevada, Reno Concrete Canoe team paddles to first place in a regional competition

University of Nevada, Reno Concrete Canoe team paddles to first place in a regional competition

Interactive Topographic Map by Top Sign and Graphics

interactive topographic map Precision Board

Interactive Topographic Map: Map-Making with Precision Board HDU

Precision Board HDU is great for creating dimensional signs of any size and shape, but it certainly doesn’t stop there: Precision Board is only limited by the ingenuity of the creator. We’re always searching for fresh, unique creations that show off the versatility of HDU, and today’s project by Casey Steinke of Top Sign and Graphics is exactly what we’re looking for. It’s an interactive topographic map in the Crown of the Continent Discovery Center, in the legendary Glacier National Park. The scale map measures an impressive 6’x7’, and depicts a tract of land from Idaho to Alberta, an area of over forty thousand square miles! The best part? It’s completely hand-painted. Let’s take a look at the build process. 

 

interactive topographic map Precision Board
Just like any good cartographer, Casey started out with the cold hard data. To plot the details of the display, he used Google Maps satellite images along with GeoTIFF files, which include additional data like map projection and elevation values. This data can then be input to a 3D modeling software like Autocad and converted into tool paths for a CNC router. After routing out the surface of his map, Casey was left with a very bumpy HDU blank in need of some paint.

 

interactive topographic map Precision Board
After routing came the first of many rounds of painting. Casey started by applying our FSC-88 WB primer to protect and seal the HDU, and to allow the paint to adhere correctly. For paint, he began with a neutral green base of latex acrylic paint, followed up by a coat of subdued brown to accentuate the jagged elevation changes. This shading does a lot to add visual depth and texture to the landscape.

 

interactive topographic map Precision Board
After the initial coats had dried, Casey started on the detail work. There were hundreds of miles of rivers and lakes that needed to be depicted on the map, and Casey hand-painted every inch on the topographic map surface. Flathead Lake and Pend Oreille Lake are featured on the map, as well as long stretches of the Columbia River, Flathead River, and more.

 

interactive topographic map Precision Board
Continuing on with the detail work, Casey painted the snowcapped peaks and valleys of the Rocky Mountains, which cover a large part of the surface. As you can see in the picture above, it was a huge undertaking. He also painted major trails in yellow, hand-tracing them as they snaked though the icy terrain. Once the painting was completely finished, Casey used a water-based clear coat to protect his work and give it a glossy sheen. 

 

interactive topographic map Precision Board
As if hand-painting more than 40,000 square miles of wilderness wasn’t enough, there was still more to be done. Casey began installing hundreds of LED lights to be linked to switches around the perimeter of the display. The idea was for visitors to be able to illuminate certain areas (National Park boundaries, Indian reservation borders, and more) at the touch of a button. Every LED was hand-placed and hand-wired, a process that took hours but made for an fun and interactive final product. 

 

interactive topographic map Precision Board
Finally, it was time for installation. The finished topographic map with LED’s was set in a robust wooden frame, with informational placards and the LED controls along the perimeter. The map was flanked by wooden frames with hanging informational signs, and backed by a large image of the sprawling national park. 

The interactive topographic map was a huge undertaking, but Casey Steinke and Top Sign and Graphics pulled it off without a hitch. The lifelike landscape is popular with visitors to the Discovery Center, and it’s a great way for outdoors enthusiasts to get a birds-eye view of their favorite national park. Be sure to take a look at the Top Sign and Graphics website to see more projects like this, or to commission a professional display of your own!